Smart Tech Advice: Buy Early, Buy Often

As you know from my columns here on SlashGear, I’m a bit of a technology fanatic. Whether it’s a boring external hard drive or an oh-so-exciting HDTV, I’m always willing to get my hands on the latest and great products tech firms have to offer.

But as of late, I’ve come across a surprisingly large number of people who have taken issue with my mentality on buying tech goodies. They say that buying gadgets too soon is a huge mistake, since the kinks aren’t necessarily worked out just yet. And the idea of buying worthwhile options now makes little sense to them, since they’ll become “obsolete” in no time.

Of course, these arguments aren’t new. There are millions of people out there that find no value in being an early adopter and trying out products before the mainstream does. And the old adage that technology solutions become obsolete before users have the chance to buy them has been around forever.

But I think it’s about time we realize just how foolish those ideas are.

The fact is, being an early adopter nowadays isn’t nearly as troublesome as it was years ago. The vast majority of products today hit store shelves and work as they should. Granted, future software updates deliver more features, but if a consumer has done their research, they’re going to the store to buy a product based on what it can do now, not necessarily what it will do for them in a couple years.

I can’t tell you how many times I’ve bought a product at launch, only to find that worries over its functionality have been exaggerated. Yes, I bought an HDTV on launch day. And I did the same with my iPod Dock, smartphone and numerous other products I currently use each and every day. But you know what? I haven’t had any more trouble than someone who bought the respective device a year after I did.

Say what you will about early adopters, but the “risks” involved in being one aren’t nearly as great as they used to be.

As with early adopters, the fear of becoming someone who buys potentially obsolete technologies is lost on me. I will fully admit that the products I buy this year will be bested by something companies release next year. But let’s face it, I’m not forced to buy next year’s update.

To me, not buying a respective device because it will soon be updated is foolish. The fact of the matter is, last year’s model will work quite well, and in most cases, stand up against the current option. So, rather than sit back and wait months for the next big thing, I buy what I need right now. Will it be replaced in a few weeks or a few months? It’s certainly possible. But if I need it now, I see no reason to wait.

So, call me unconventional, but I don’t subscribe to the same buying techniques of many out there. I’m a buy-early-buy-often kind of shopper when it comes to technology.